Australian Domain Name Hierarchy

[robert]

There is lots of talk about the new .au 2LD domain name possibly coming into existence. If you want to talk about this, head over here.
Whether it comes into existence or not, (again, you can talk about that over here) let's play a game and pretend it did.
What would the new Australian Domain Name hierarchy look like? That is, what TLDs do you think would hold most weight for Australian customers living in Australia, trying to find Australian business websites?

Do you think it would look like this?
1. example.com.au
2. example.au
3. example.com
4. example.net.au

Or will .au reign supreme eventually?

The American domain name scene is trying to suggest .xyz is the new .com at the moment, because Larry Page from Google.com just registered abc.xzy as his preferred domain name for his new Alphabet company. I personally don't think this is going to knock .com off it's perch. I also don't think .au would knock .com.au off it's perch, because it is so engrained now in our Australian business domain names.

Again, let's not talk about whether .au should be brought into existence or not in this thread, do that over here. Let's discuss if it will ever knock .com.au from first place if it does...

(note: I have deliberately left out .edu.au .gov.au etc...)

 

[Rhythm]

Not for a very very long time.

It all comes down to branding

Also safe to assume 0 type in traffic and initially 0 Seo benefit

Maybe after a decade.

Should have happened a decade ago. But better late than never I guess.

 

[findtim]

no, because by the time it could happen, something else will surpass it and the powers at be know it.
money grab ! before the collapse IMO
auda has made their money, they are heading for retirement, they just want to skin as much as they can before they go IMO
a law unto themselves.
tim

 

[Bacon Farmer]

"Some evidence that shorter names are more attractive to registrants can be seen in .uk and .nz, both of which introduced direct registrations in mid‐2014. Recent .nz statistics show that there is already a clear shift underway from 2LDs to direct .nz names 1 . The same trend is visible in .uk, where total registrations under 2LDs have declined by approximately 65,000 since January 2015, while direct registrations have increased by approximately 130,0002 ." - http://www.auda.org.au/assets/pdf/2015npp-draft-recs.pdf

 

[Scott7]

Do you think it would look like this?
1. example.com.au
2. example.au
3. example.com
4. example.net.au
Or will .au reign supreme eventually?

1. example.com.au
2. example.com
3. example.net.au
4. example.melbourne
5. example.sydney
6. example.horse
7. example.au

 

[Shane]

I think .au would eventually move to the top. Personally I would switch my business sites over to the new shorter domain straight away.

 

[robert]

That's very interesting Shane.
If .au ever comes in, it will go either way, we all know that.
What will be even more interesting, is to watch how many big Domainers dump their .com.au - or hold onto them.
Also, how many businesses will buy the .au - but not switch their website or emails over, leaving .com.au to be their main asset.
These factors will play a big part in deciding the future of the value of .com.au versus .au - again, if the .au ever comes on board.
Either way, it will take a long time to see how this all pans out... if it ever does at all.

 

[snoopy]

"Some evidence that shorter names are more attractive to registrants can be seen in .uk and .nz, both of which introduced direct registrations in mid‐2014. Recent .nz statistics show that there is already a clear shift underway from 2LDs to direct .nz names 1 . The same trend is visible in .uk, where total registrations under 2LDs have declined by approximately 65,000 since January 2015, while direct registrations have increased by approximately 130,0002 ." - http://www.auda.org.au/assets/pdf/2015npp-draft-recs.pdf

I'm curious about the source of this data.

After looking at the footnotes for both the .nz and the .uk link in that report both produce a "page not found" error message, that is poor for a report that only just came out. I'm very dubious about these claims of a clear shift.

Would expect to see the new tlds getting a fair few registrations but this report hasn't explained this claimed clear shift. I've never come across a .uk or .nz site and there is is barely any resales which suggests very low demand with business to me.

The other thing is since these extension are new and have not yet gone through a deletion cycle it is not possible for total numbers in .nz and .uk to fall, so the growth part of the argument (the 130,000 .uk names) isn't saying much.

 

[snoopy]

That is, what TLDs do you think would hold most weight for Australian customers living in Australia, trying to find Australian business websites?

Do you think it would look like this?
1. example.com.au
2. example.au
3. example.com
4. example.net.au

Or will .au reign supreme eventually?

1. .com.au
2. .com
3. .au
4. .net.au

The last two I don't think will hold much weight at all. I'd go for a hyphen over a .net.au.

 

[findtim]

The last two I don't think will hold much weight at all. I'd go for a hyphen over a .net.au.

seriously ! , wash your tongue with soap LOL , MR "radio test" LOL

tim

 

[Bacon Farmer]

I'm curious about the source of this data.

After looking at the footnotes for both the .nz and the .uk link in that report both produce a "page not found" error message, that is poor for a report that only just came out. I'm very dubious about these claims of a clear shift.....

http://www.nominet.uk/news/reports-statistics/2015-uk-register-statistics
http://dnc.org.nz/story/monthly-nz-statistics-domain-names-2ld-0?m=346

 

[Andrew Wright]

I wouldn't worry too much. Initial thoughts...

• Adoption of .au will take time - most existing companies won't switch (think cost of changing marketing collateral), most registrations will be defensive, .com.au will continue to be used by exisiting companies for years (no imperative to change).
• There will be a lot of user confusion and leaked traffic from .au to com.au. (and frustration for .au registrants when they realise their traffic is going elsewhere).
• Adoption of .au could be stymied by domain investors, particularly if there are no restrictions or hierarchy of rights and all the "good" domains get bulk registered in the landrush (see what happened to .eu).

I'd echo Snoopy...
1. example.com.au
2. example.com
3. example.au
4. example.net.au

 

[asantha]

Yes at the beginning it will be

.com.au
.com
.net.au
.au

But after couple of years

.au
.com
.com.au
.net.au

 

[Bacon Farmer]

Is this a case of insider trading? http://www.netfleet.com.au/Melbourne.net.au and http://www.netfleet.com.au/Sydney.net.au or just a happy coincidence?

 

[snoopy]

http://www.nominet.uk/news/reports-statistics/2015-uk-register-statistics
http://dnc.org.nz/story/monthly-nz-statistics-domain-names-2ld-0?m=346

Cheers,

I think with the .co.uk especially that isn't evidence of a clear shift (3% market share). .nz around 20%.

 

[atom]

I think it will require something of a generational change for .au to rise to the top. .com.au has trust and recognition, and as others have said, using .au would result in a lot of bleed to the .com.au equivalent for a long time. I agree too that there will be defensive registrations, and I can imagine a fair few redirects from .au to the main .com.au site. In time though I can see .au gaining acceptance.

.com.au
.com
.net.au
.au

Eventually
.au
.com.au
.com
.net.au

I'm not convinced .com.au will necessarily be completely dominated by .au in the next few years. It will of course make the local namespace more "messy" and make it less likely that end users will correctly remember a name they come across in advertising, etc.

 

[helloworld]

There is absolutely no way I would move my main site to .au. It would be to much of a headache. That said, If there was a landrush on .au I would get involved for sure.

 

[findtim]

That said, If there was a landrush on .au I would get involved for sure.

thats what the people who see profit in this change want you to do.
tim

 

[Scott7]

Cheers,

I think with the .co.uk especially that isn't evidence of a clear shift (3% market share). .nz around 20%.

I like your new signature.
abolish.net.au is available too

 

[snoopy]

abolish.net.au is available too

May it forever stay that way!